Being Gay and a Male Nursing Student
- page 3

I'm aware that the words 'Gay' and 'Nursing' may somehow go hand-and-hand for some, and others may find it comical, but I've found it quite uncomfortable being gay and a male, nursing student simply... Read More

I decided to go snooping in the male nursing forum wondering what the heck y'all might be talking about. I found this interesting. There are a lot of gay male nurses out there & I suppose even if you were straight you might be throwing off someone's gaydar. My question is, what's the problem? Girls tend to like gay guys because we can treat them like one of the girls, no need to impress and can share girl conversation without feeling weird. I know in pre-nursing, my best friend was a gay woman. She was a but butch so there was little question & one of my friends spent the entire semester assuming I was gay too, by association. I laughed when she told me. I don't recall anyone treating anyone differently & I don't think I was judged at all for mistakenly be being assumed gay. Embrace your ability to stand out in the crowd and bond with women. It won't always be easy. There will be patients that refuse your help because you're male probably before realizing you're gay.

I've been a nurse for decades, and I can honestly say that most of your nursing colleagues won't care one way or another about your sexual orientation . . . unless, of course they're interested. Wearing eyeliner and pink lip gloss may get you gossiped about, but I don't know many people who aren't the object of a little gossip at one time or another.

I work with gay men, straight men, gay women and straight women and I honestly don't give a rip which gender anyone dates. I'm happily married. I will say, though, that discussing your sexual escapades in great detail at work is inappropriate for anyone, gay or straight. Behave in an appropriate manner and you won't have any problems.

Yeah, it kinda stinks when other nurses are talking about their families and you aren't sure whether to bring your's up. If you are comfortable talking with someone about your boyfriend/partner, then go for it. If you are not, then just don't. (Either way, leave the details of the bedroom, well, in the bedroom at home....there are some straight coworkers I wish would!)

I just had to address this one because it has always bothered me. When other nurses are talking about their families, go ahead and bring yours up. We're just as interested (or not) in your family as we are in anyone else's. I don't want to hear about your sex life -- or anyone else's, for that matter -- but I'm sure your dog is just as cute as mine, your kids are just as smart and your partner is just as wonderful. I honestly think most of your colleagues would LIKE to hear the story about how your partner cooked the most marvelous meal or got a promotion or whatever. That means you want to be part of the team.

I've had both coworkers and classmates who are gay (male and female) and to be perfectly honest no one else really cared about their sexual orientation because it has nothing to do with the quality of healthcare provider you are. As another user mentioned that if you come off as overly flamboyant then you may draw some negative attention to yourself but as long as you are a professional in school or the workplace then you should be fine. If you are being harassed or bullied in the workplace based on your sexuality (or for any reason) you need to report it to your manager and to Human Resources because everyone has the right to feel safe and free from harassment in their workplace.

A Gay or straight coworker really doesn't make a difference to me. What's important to me is the worth ethic & ability to get along with coworkers lol. I respect a good nurse, an efficient nurse, a team player! I enjoy hearing about my coworkers lives/activities (i.e. their kids bday, how's judo class, new recipe, new movies, how has their vaca/moving, etc..nothing too personal or long though). It just shows caring & creates stronger team bonds.

My one hang up about nursing is the vast majority of women in the field (I'm a woman by the way!) as a general rule we tend to breed cattiness and gossip when we're in large numbers. I'm very excited about the idea of having men on the floor with me too just to break it up! It absolutely doesn't matter gay or straight... A guy is a guy!!

I just had to address this one because it has always bothered me. When other nurses are talking about their families, go ahead and bring yours up. We're just as interested (or not) in your family as we are in anyone else's. I don't want to hear about your sex life -- or anyone else's, for that matter -- but I'm sure your dog is just as cute as mine, your kids are just as smart and your partner is just as wonderful. I honestly think most of your colleagues would LIKE to hear the story about how your partner cooked the most marvelous meal or got a promotion or whatever. That means you want to be part of the team.

I'm not flamboyant neither but what does that have to do with anything. That statement sounds so ignorant and the reason why people discriminate. I respect everyone's culture, religion , and race no matter what. That's why I became a nurse because I care about people and show empathy. Who cares if a persons feminine as long as they provide great care.

I think some of the reactions that you may get from coworkers may be from lack of knowledge that gay men are still men. The best example I can give is this. My BIL is gay and has a partner and children. I've heard people make comments that he's "the little woman" in the relationship and things like that. He is a lot more flamboyant than his partner, but as far as being a guy, he is very much a "dude". They raise their children like men, but hey, they are men. My advise is that you have clear boundaries that remind your coworkers that you are a guy and don't want to be treated like one of the girls. I agree with Rubyvee, I think there will be people interested in you because they like who you are and not what you may or may not represent. Then there will always be those people you have to just ignore.